Los Angeles, CA - April 7, 2015 –The South East European Film Festival (SEEfest) (seefilmla.org) will celebrate a milestone 10th anniversary year in 2015, unveiling a robust program of feature films, documentaries and fiction, documentary and animation shorts.

Named one the best “under the radar” film festivals in America by Flavorwire in 2012, SEEfest continues to gain recognition and exposure within the world film festival circuit. The 2015 SEEfest is scheduled from April 30 – May 7, 2015, with screenings at Laemmle’s Music Hall Theatre in Beverly Hills and the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, with select complimentary screenings at the Macha Theatre in West Hollywood.

Boasting its largest selection ever of award-winning works from the region, SEEfest will showcase North American and West Coast premieres of eight feature films, 11 documentaries, nine fiction shorts, seven documentary shorts, and 11 animation shorts, with attendance by filmmakers, industry professionals and cultural dignitaries from Los Angeles and South East Europe.

"SEEfest salutes Romanian cinema for everything it has given to the world in the last 15 years, pioneering a fresh new style of moviemaking, while making a splash on the international scene," comments Vera Mijojlic, founder and director of SEEfest. "Romanian filmmakers put the region 'on the map' with groundbreaking movies and gave voice to people in a way that has not been seen since the 1960’s Czech new wave and Yugoslav 'black film'."

Highlights of the eight day festival include the opening night feature The Japanese Dog (Romania), directed by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu. In the drama, an old widower is forced to cope with the aftermath of the recent floods that devastated an entire village. A visit from his estranged son with a young Japanese family in tow stir deep-seated emotions on both sides.

The opening night gala, to be held at the prestigious Writers Guild Theater, will also feature SEEfest’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Awards, to be presented to legendary Romanian actor Victor Rebenguic, who stars in the evening’s feature presentation, and acting legend GeorgeChakiris, Academy and Golden Globe Award winner for his role as Bernardo in “West Side Story.”

Additional noteworthy selections include:

Bota (Albania/Italy) By directors, husband and wife team Iris Elezi and Thomas Logoreci, the film is the story of two young waitresses stuck in a roadside cafe where a middle-aged owner presides over a cast of odd patrons, including a construction crew building a new road. The film was the Critics’ Prize Winner (FEDEORA Award) at the 2014 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Cowboys (Croatia) A strong contender for the foreign language film category for the 2014 Academy Awards, the comedy, directed by Tomislav Mršić, is the story of eight outsiders in a deep Croatian province audition for a theater play, breaking every rule of stage craft.

It Takes Two To Fence (Romania) In the story, a former fencing champion is forced out of the sport by a serious injury, but gets a chance to reenter the fencing world as a coach. He is given the task of training a young woman, and a strong bond develops, leading to an intense romantic rivalry. A rising star on the international scene, the luminous Romanian actress Olimpia Melinte plays the lead role in the film directed by Andrei Gheorghe.

Down The River (Azerbaijan) Directed by Asif Rustamov, the sumptuously photographed psychological drama powers through rowing races in a provincial town where a coach is caught in a web of his own midlife crisis and a desire to win a trophy at the expense of his trainee son. The first ever title from Azerbaijan in the festival, the film was nominated for the ‘East of the West’ Award at the 2014 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Rat Poison (Bulgaria/Romania) First debut feature by director Konstantin Burov, the comedy is a story of four young, petty thieves who meet in a juvenile hall on the eve of tectonic changes that swept Eastern Europe with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Documentaries include:

Consumed (Croatia) With more than 30 million minutes of life behind them, a group of seniors are challenged to describe the most important minute in their life, within as many seconds as the number of years they have lived. Directed by Borut Šeparović.

The Cover Story (Croatia)

Despite monumental events in 2013 Croatia, the most popular news topic was the tragic death of Dolores Lambaša, a young actress whom all loved to hate. The documentary observes her final year and her intense relationship with the media. Directed by Silvana Menđušić , the documentary is the winner of many international awards.

In the Dark (Serbia) A young coal miner working with his father in southeast Serbia struggles to carve out his own destiny and start a new life while still honoring his family’s expectations. The film is the debut work by AFI graduate Goran Stankovic, one of the finalists for the Student Oscar Award in 2014, and was named an official selection at the 2014 IDFA festival.

Nadeshda (Germany/Bulgaria) Three children who live in Nadeshda, one of Bulgaria’s largest Roma ghettos, dream of becoming professional, classical musicians. Directed by Anna Frances Ewert and Falk Müller.

The complete schedule of films to be screened at SEEfest 2015 is now available online at www.seefilmla.org

Each year, the festival also attracts a contingent of American and expat independent filmmakers who come to see new works and look for opportunities at SEEfest’s annual Business Conference.Now in its seventh year, the conference is a free event and open to the public, connecting South East European filmmakers with their American counterparts and Hollywood executives. In the past, featured speakers have included representatives from Warner Brothers, Walt Disney Studio, Mace Neufeld Productions and Relativity Media.

About The South East European Film Festival (SEEfest)

SEEfest presents cinematic and cultural diversity of South East Europe to American audiences and creates cultural connections through films, artistic and social events. SEEfest was founded in 2006 by Vera Mijojlic, long-time film critic and cultural entrepreneur.

KICK OFF EVENT FULL OF SURPRISES
Kate Mulgrew, Louie Psihoyos among special guests

The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival created some Hollywood-style buzz Tuesday night during its Kick Off party at Hotel Julien.

More than 200 people attended the event, which featured film trailers, Skype cameos from filmmakers, guest announcements, and more.

“I'm so excited for this year's festival,” said first-year Executive Director Susan Gorrell. “There is just so much going on and such a variety of events.”

One of the major announcements of the night was that all film screenings and events on the festival's opening day, Thursday, April 23, will be free.

“Thanks to one of our sponsors, Runde Auto Group, anyone can come and experience the festival that day,” Gorrell told the crowd. “We want to show people what we are all about and make it accessible to everyone.”

More than 35 films will be screened at 11 venues Thursday-Sunday, April 23-26, in downtown Dubuque.

Dubuque native and Academy-Award winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) will be in town for a red-carpet screening of his documentary “Racing Extinction” at 3 p.m., on Thursday, April 23, at Mindframe Theaters.

Actress Kate Mulgrew (Orange is the New Black), who was the honorary chair of the inaugural festival in 2012, will also be in town to introduce the Silent Film Showcase at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 24 at Five Flags. She will host a book signing at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, in the Grand Ballroom at Hotel Julien.

The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival (JDIFF) is a four-day celebration of independent film and special events that fosters connections and exposure to yield substantial results for the independent filmmaker. Named one of the Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World by MovieMaker Magazine in 2013, JDIFF acknowledges emerging filmmakers from around the world, with a strong emphasis on discovering and encouraging new talent.

VISIONFEST 15: THE OTHER FESTIVAL (VF15), dubbed ‘the American Classic’ and widely renowned and respected throughout the U.S. for its solid, quality programming, has officially announced its line-up and set off its advance, online ticket sales. Running May 13 thru May 17 at Tribeca Cinemas (corner of Laight and Varick Streets in New York City), VF15, whose mission to “promote domestic filmmaking” is supported and propelled by its organizing entity, the Domani Vision Film Society, a not-for-profit organization, this year celebrates its fifteenth annual outing with a powerful and very diverse lineup of some of the finest American indie films on the festival circuit today.

Beginning with its “Official Opening Night Selection,” DESERT CATHEDRAL, the haunting debut feature from Travis Gutierrez Senger, VF15 explores more thematic paths and genre shifts than ever before. In this opening night feature, a broken real estate developer, played by Lee Tergesen (Oz, Generation Kill, Monster), mysteriously disappears into the Southwest in 1992, leaving behind a series of VHS tapes to his employer and family. Without the aid of the police, his desperate wife hires a private investigator, played by Chaske Spencer (The Twilight Saga), to locate his whereabouts and bring him home. When asked about the Selection Committee’s decision to include the film in this year’s line-up, VF15 co-director and programmer, Bruno Derlin stated: “How one film manages to keep you on the edge of your seat and, at the same time, pace itself with some of the most breathtaking and eloquently paced visual poetry you’ll ever see is beyond me. This is the work of a true visionary. We are so proud to be able to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary with such beautiful work.” As always, all feature presentations are preceded by one or two shorts, and the opening night honors go to the experimental, THE TULIP CHAIR, by Courtney N. Marsh, and the riveting, dramatic powerhouse, SINA FORMA, by Garette Henson, which makes its World Premiere at VF15.

The “Special Centerpiece Selection” this year is reserved for ALTO, another debut feature in a completely different genre. Here, writer-director Mikki del Monaco blends improbable love, the mob, and family non-conformity in a comedic tale whose tagline boasts “Two Girls. One Gun. The Mob. Because coming out to family is hard. But coming out to ‘family’ is funny.” VF15 co-director and co-programmer, Frank Lewallen, called the film as “A breath of fresh air. It’s clear to me that everyone in this movie had a blast making it and the love, passion, and dedication for the project are all too evident on the screen.” The film, which features vibrant turns by Diana DeGarmo (American Idol) and Natalie Knepp (Orange Is The New Black), also stars Annabella Sciorra (The Sopranos, Don Peyote– she is also billed here as one of the producers). The charming little tale, MOON PEOPLE, by Alexandra Grace, another World Premiere, precedes the feature, making this program the first, fully LGBT-themed block at VF.

“Official Closing Night Selection,” FRANK VS. GOD, by Stewart Schill (Big Time Rush, Charmed) offers a perfect blend of comedy, drama, and existentialism. After his house is destroyed by a tornado (what his insurance company deems an "act of God"), former hotshot lawyer David Frank, played immaculately by Henry Ian Cusick (Lost, Hitman, Scandal) is determined that someone must pay. He decides to serve God... with a lawsuit. VF15 producer, Jana Frindtova shared that: “Films like this one make all the work we put into this festival worthwhile. I laughed. I cried. I laughed again and cried from laughing so hard, but ultimately, I was entertained above and beyond anything that the local multiplex can offer these days. I think everyone should see this film. It says so much without ever preaching. It stays with you long after the end credits have rolled.” Paving the way for this divine showdown, the New York Premiere of the emotionally charged, DOUBLE NEGATIVE, a short by Brian Dilg.

The fourth narrative feature in the line-up is Lawrence Krauser’s WENDELL AND THE LEMON, which comes to VF15 on the trail of a very successful film festival run, which began this past January at Slamdance. Kicking off this program will be THE CRUMB OF IT, the third piece of the widely acclaimed shorts trilogy, INTIMATE SEMAPHORES, by T.J. Misny.

The volume and the heat are cranked up for the festival’s Saturday evening block, with the New York Premiere of LORDS OF BSV, a feature documentary focusing on a new dance form called Brukup, directed by Maria Soccor, Audiences will also be treated to the New York Premiere of PINKY, a short subject drama, written and directed by AFI alum, Dylan Paffe.

A slew of other narrative shorts (including the World Premieres of LULLABY by Start Valberg and CLOSE THE DOOR by Glen & Shaun Vivaris), docs, and experimental projects will be featured in several, thematically connected program blocks. A special ‘fundraising’ screening will take place on Thursday evening, May 14, when A SILENT STRUGGLE, a six-minute, experimental doc by Alexander Yakacki, which briefly explores with the lives and minds of four individuals battling various mental illnesses, is presented as part of the very eclectic A POTPOURRI OF VISIONS, block. A portion of the proceeds from this program will be donated to NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

MUSICAL VISIONS, a photo exhibit by Mark Doyle, will be unveiling at Tribeca Cinemas throughout the VF15 run. The premiere showcase features a series of photographs of popular music artists performing live, which will be exhibited in the theater's bar/lounge, THE VARICK ROOM. The exhibit, viewable throughout the entire film festival with the exception of Saturday, May 16, is free and open to the public and Mark Doyle is scheduled to be on hand for the opening and closing nights.

After a fairly long hiatus, the exciting VF sidebar initiative FKBK - For Kids By Kids returns to VF with a special Sunday semi-matinee program slated for May 17 at 4:30 pm. The program consists of films created by filmmakers under the age of 18 and is set up as a special "out of competition" screening, which will unveil three new films that will reignite the flame of a VF project that the festival hopes to enhance and continue for years to come. This year's lineup will kick off with three short works by Ava Kuslansky, followed by the experimental short, THE EMOTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF THE RIVER JAMES, by 15-year-old Michelle Marquez; the short doc, POET AGAINST PREJUDICE, by 17-year-old Faiza Almontaster, mentored by the late Albert Maysles as part of the non-profit BYkids program; and closing the program will be the East Coast Premiere of THAT BITES! - A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT FOOD ALLERGIES MADE BY A 12 YEAR-OLD BOY, a documentary by Jack Yonover.

VF15 is a competitive forum that annually announces nominations for its prospective IVA (Independent Vision Awards) honorees on opening night, following the first set of screenings. Nominees will be publicly announced that evening and then online, on Thursday, May 14.

Set at the historic Stanley Hotel, inspiration for Stephen King's THE SHINING, the Stanley Film Festival (SFF) Presented by Chiller, showcases the best in classic and contemporary horror cinema in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado. Sponsored by the NBC Universal horror network Chiller, the SFF will take place April 30-May 3, 2015. Produced by the Denver Film Society, the festival is dedicated to crafting a more interactive experience for genre filmmakers and fans.

The SFF will host a series of events sure to satisfy even the most dedicated horror fans, while providing an opportunity for casual onlookers to experiment with what the festival has to offer. Last year, the Festival launched a variety of events to create a fully immersive experience. Many of those events will return this year, including the Immersive Horror Game. The game uses multiple media platforms and game elements to delve deep into a mystery/horror narrative that uses the Stanley Hotel and the Festival as a vehicle to engage its participants in a story that seamlessly exists concurrently with everyday life.

"The Stanley Hotel has always been an inspiration for so many great stories, it is the perfect backdrop to create a truly immersive horror retreat for those looking to celebrate the art of horror in all forms," says Denver Film Society Festival Director Britta Erickson. "We are looking forward to providing a platform for artists and attendees to tell their story and experience our four day carnival of curiosities."

Adding their unique brand of horror storytelling to this year's festival, Clay McLeod Chapman and Hanna Cheek return with The Pumpkin Pie Show, a pure campfire story experience for adults. Back for a second year in a row, Glass Eye Pix will present The Stanley Edition of TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE with hosts, Larry Fessenden and Glenn McQuaid. Tales will feature two brand new radio plays, recorded live at the Historic Park Theater, performed by special guests of the Festival. Local band, Munly & the Lupercalians will provide musical accompaniment for the radio play.

Additional local musical acts include Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, who will bring their seductively venomous pulsing rhythms to Opening Night at the SFF along with Bad Luck City. The itchy-O Marching Band, a throbbing 32-piece band of masked chaos, will perform as part of a special Friday night event at the Stanley Hotel. Also on Friday, a special 40th Anniversary screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Historic Park Theatre with Colorado's Elusive Ingredient Shadow Cast. Closing out the Festival, Ian Cooke will perform Saturday evening at the Closing Night Party.

Throughout the weekend, the 13th Floor Haunted House will transform the hotel grounds by bringing their terrifying experience from Denver to Estes Park. The haunted house, voted scariest haunted house in the country by Fangoria (an official SFF Media Partner) will create a custom photo booth and happy hour scare zones for the third annual SFF. On Friday evening, Fangoria Entertainment and ShockTillYouDrop.com will bring Dead Right Horror Trivia from Los Angeles to Estes Park.

Screenings and special events at the Stanley Film Festival will take place at The Stanley Hotel and throughout Estes Park. All access packages to attend the Stanley Film Festival and stay at the historic hotel for all 3 nights of the festival are on sale now, starting at $666/person. Festival patron and ticket passes range from $95.00 (movie pass) to $295.00 for an all access patron pass. Space is limited on all packages, so guests are encouraged to book early. For more information regarding ticket and hotel packages, visit www.StanleyFilmFest.com.

IMMERSIVE HORROR GAME, bleeding seamlessly into the atmosphere of fear and suspense we are excited to announce the return of Stanley Film Festival's Immersive Horror Game. Bigger and better, this all-new interactive story is a real life horror/mystery narrative using the Festival itself as its medium. Those who follow the clues become the protagonists of an engaging and creepy thriller featuring irreproducible characters and events that you can never unsee. This event is free and open to the public.

Glass Eye Pix Presents TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE: The Stanley Edition is an ongoing series of audio dramas penned by luminaries from the world of contemporary horror from JT Petty (HELLBENDERS) to Simon Barrett (YOU'RE NEXT), and Kim Newman (ANO DRACULA), featuring players from Ron Perlman (HELLBOY), to Angus Scrimm (PHANTASM), and Mark Margolis (AMERICAN HORROR STORY). The Stanley edition will feature performers culled from the film lineup as well as local band, Munly & the Lupercalians. Join horror impresarios Glenn McQuaid and Larry Fessenden as they invite you to close your eyes and... listen. Learn more at talesfrombeyondthepale.com. This event is open to SFF Redrum & Horror Marathon badge holders, individual tickets can be purchased beginning April 2 for $13 DFS member and locals / $15 non-members.

DEAD RIGHT HORROR TRIVIA HOSTED BY FANGORIA, BLUMHOUSE AND SHOCKTILLYOUDROP.COM Do you consume horror as voraciously as zombies eat flesh? The hit Los Angeles horror event comes to the Stanley Film Festival! Join Shock Till You Drop's Sam Zimmerman and Ryan Turek from Blumhouse and test your horror knowledge in eight rounds of terrifyingly titillating trivia. Scare yourself with how much you actually know about horror. Registration for this event is free and open to the public, SFF badge holders receive priority registration.

THE PUMPKIN PIE SHOW is part ghost story, part shamanistic ritual. Stories by Clay McLeod Chapman, performed by Champman and Hanna Cheek, the Pumpkin Pie Show has established itself over the last two decades as the bastard love-child of spectral luminaries Poe and Lovecraft. Packed with the emotional intensity of a rock concert, the Pumpkin Pie Show is a pure campfire story experience for adults. This event is open to SFF Redrum & Horror Marathon badge holders, individual tickets can be purchased beginning April 2 for $10 DFS member and locals / $12 non-member.

HORROR BRUNCH AND AWARDS CEREMONY, curated by Chief Coroner of the Stanley Film Festival, Andrew Novick, brunch-goers will have several "horrific" culinary options to choose from. Ballots will be tallied and the 2015 Audience Winners for Feature Film and Short Film will be announced. Andrew Novick has been behind such temptations as: The Surgery Dinner, Thanksgiving-on-a-Stick, Andrew Novick's X-Treme Pancake Breakfast and is the "Griller-in-Residence" for tailgate parties at the Museum of Contemporary Art. This event is open to SFF Redrum badgeholders and invited guests only.

40th ANNIVERSARY SCREENING OF THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW WITH COLORADO'S ELUSIVE INGREDIENT SHADOW CAST (CEI) who has been Shadowcasting the Rocky Horror Picture Show in Denver since 2000. Based at Landmark's Esquire Theatre, CEI provides the full RHPS experience with audience participation, costumes, props, and tons of airborne toilet paper! CEI holds the world's record for largest RHPS performance, with over 8,500 people turning out to see the film at Red Rocks in 2013. Raunchy, rowdy, and risqué, mixes old school with modern debauchery. Come be offended all over again! This event is open to SFF Redrum & Horror Marathon badge holders, individual tickets can be purchased beginning April 2 for $10 DFS member and locals / $12 non-member.

13TH FLOOR HAUNTED HOUSE

Considered one of the most terrifying haunts in the country, the infamous scare-mongers at 13th Floor Haunted House (www.13thfloorhauntedhouse.com) will bring their unique brand of fear to the Stanley Film Festival by hosting an elaborate photo booth throughout the weekend, transforming the grounds into happy hour scare zones on Friday & Saturday, and providing assorted secrets hidden throughout the hotel if you dare to find them....These events are free and open to the public.

THE ITCHY-O MARCHING BAND, a throbbing 32-piece band of masked chaos invites you to dissolve the performer/audience divide and melt into the Bedlam that is the disorienting power of Itchy-O. The Itchy-O Marching Band (IOMB) is a Denver-based percussion-centered electronic marking band. IOMB brings a sophisticated savage sound and the sheer ecstasy of instruments untethered and running free. With a driving drum corps battery, taiko drummers, an arsenal of electronics including synthesizers, theremin, vocoders, and many other special devices, the IOMB completely engulfs and immerses an audience from every angle in a pounding electric bog of music, ephemera, and spectacle. This event is free and open to the public, Stanley Film Festival Redrum badge holders will receive priority entry.

BAD LUCK CITY crafts lurid tales of lost souls hitting rock bottom in search of redemptive truth, only to realize that such a thing is tantalizingly out of reach. There's an inherent dark, fiery intensity to the music of Bad Luck City that conjures images of traipsing through the worst dive bars imaginable late at night. This event is open to SFF Redrum badge holders, individual tickets to the Opening Night Film and Party can be purchased beginning April 2 for $33 DFS Member / $35 non-member.

SNAKE RATTLE RATTLE SNAKE began in late 2008 when veterans of the Denver underground scene pursued a mutual interest in darkly atmospheric music with grounding in pulsing rhythms. With severe yet ethereal guitars chiming over the top of tribal percussion and shot through with singer Hayley Helmericks' caustic lyrics, Snake sounds like a vital combination of spooky surf band, dark-wave rock and Siouxsie Sioux fronting a synth-driven New Order. For more information, visit www.snakerattlerattlesnake.com. This event is open to SFF Redrum badge holders, individual tickets to the Opening Night Film and Party can be purchased beginning April 2 for $33 DFS Member / $35 non-member.

IAN COOKE is a Denver-based musician who uses a loop pedal to layer his cello and voice. His progressive style of music can be described as classically infused pop, or pop-sical. Visit iancookemusic.com for more information. This event is open to SFF Redrum badge holders, individual tickets to the Closing Night Film and Party can be purchased beginning April 2 for $33 DFS Member / $35 non-member.

IN-ROOM CHANNELS are exclusive to guests of the festival staying at the Stanley Hotel. The Festival features special in-room only programming content, extending the scares and thrills of the films 24 hours a day beamed directly into your bedroom. Showcasing feature films, secret screenings, sponsored content, short films, specials, rarities and hidden surprises, there's something for every kind of horror fan buried within.

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Stanley Film Festival: Set at the historic inspiration for Stephen King's THE SHINING, the Stanley Film Festival showcases the best in classic and contemporary horror cinema at the Stanley Hotel in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado. Produced by the Denver Film Society, the festival is a labor of love dedicated to crafting a more interactive experience for genre filmmakers and fans. Presenting emerging artists and established luminaries within the genre, the four-day event features live shows, installations, industry panels, the "Stanley Dean's Cup" student film competition, and spooky secrets within a frightening, yet elegant atmosphere that can function as a true horror summit for all.

The Stanley Hotel: Famous for its old world charm, The Stanley Hotel boasts spectacular views in every direction and is less than six miles from Rocky Mountain National Park. Multi-million dollar renovations have restored this 155-guestroom hotel to its original grandeur. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and member of Historic Hotels of America; only an hour away from Denver, it is ideal destination for a Colorado getaway.

The Stanley Hotel opened in 1909 and it was just two years later that chief housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson was injured in an explosion while she was lighting acetylene lanterns in room 217. She survived the incident, but guests have reported sensing her presence in the room ever since. Other guests have reported lights flicking on and off, doors opening and closing and laughter and footsteps when no one else is around in other rooms and facilities throughout the hotel. The Stanley Hotel is consistently ranked the #1 haunted hotel in the world.

is an entertainment brand dedicated to delivering round-the-clock scares with its commitment to producing diverse and high-quality horror content. Chiller's eclectic slate of adrenaline-fueled, soul-stirring entertainment includes a broad offering of original movies and specials, genre films, documentary and reality shows (Scream Queens) and some of the most thought-provoking and suspenseful series ever on television (The River, X-Files, 666 Park Avenue, Alcatraz, Tales from the Darkside). With its recently-created Chiller Films initiative, Chiller also produces feature films for select theaters and On-Demand. Chiller network is currently available in over 40 million homes. To learn more, visit: www.chillertv.com. Chiller. Scary Good.

The Denver Film Society: Founded in 1978, the Denver Film Society (DFS) is a membership-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural institution that produces film events throughout the year, including the award-winning Starz Denver Film Festival and the popular, summertime series Film on the Rocks. With a vision to cultivate community and transform lives through film, the Film Society provides opportunities for diverse audiences to discover film through creative, thought-provoking experiences.

The permanent home of the Denver Film Society, the Sie FilmCenter, is Denver's only year-round cinematheque, presenting a weekly-changing calendar of first-run exclusives and arthouse revivals both domestic and foreign, narrative and documentary - over 600 per year, all shown in their original language and format. DFS's one-of-a-kind programs annually reach more than 200,000 film lovers and film lovers-in-training.

Grand Heritage Hotel Group: Founded in 1989 by John Cullen, Grand Heritage Hotel Group is one of the nation's premier owner operators of independent luxury hotels and resorts. Its properties are sought-after destinations that offer consistent luxury, quality and exceptional surroundings. Several Grand Heritage properties enjoy prestigious distinction as designated Historic Hotels of America. The company prides itself on the vision and strategic expertise of its leadership. Highly innovative and experienced professionals collectively boast more than 50 years of hands-on experience in all aspects of the hotel and hospitality business and are recognized for imaginative and entrepreneurial style. Grand Heritage owns and operates hotels in North America; it also operates Grand Heritage Hotels International Brand, which has a number of properties in Europe, The Middle East, India and North Africa.

4 days of animation feature films, shorts workshops, panel discussions, interactive performances, animation themed parties Alice in Wonderland. Reggae Night and opening and closing parties to be held at Rosalie on de la montagne.

Partnerships :
TELETOON and Printemps numerique ally with le MIAFF presenting industry professionals in animation for cinema and television and gaming. Technology in all it’s forms. In partnership with filmfestivals.com

Pre opener The Land of the Magic Flute: A live interactive music performance Of Mozart’s Magic Flute produced by the German Interactive Media Foundation music performed live composer Montreal composer Philippe Lambert opens the ceremonies.

The opening will stream worldwide live with M.M is a streaming service for film festivals determined to help filmmakers gain recognition, distribution, and reach.

Thematic short section are:

A Bird in a Cage world premiere from the UK is a 19 minute short documentary animation that revives the story of Margaret Mackworth a pioneer of the suffragette society in the UK.

We have winners for you: Best of Fests

Annecy Int’l Animation Film Festivals,

Ottawa International Film Festival,

Kanata First Nations collection,

Fantasporto,

HollyShorts,

The Montreal Stop Motion Film Festival,
ECU...

Beauty, is an exquisite short, an ode to the Italian renaissance - one of our Best of Fantasporto Film Festival discoveries.

World of Tomorrow by Don Hertzfeldt (Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival / Best Animated Short, SXSW Best Animated Short)

Program of Conference Panels & Masterclasses

Animaze Days offers a 3 day conference program including a dozen events with stop motion master Oscar winner Co Hoedeman, Erik Goulet, a live dance performance with Zelma Badu, interactive performances will engage the audience with the art of animation in all it’s forms.

Conference and industry networking events at our venues at Concordia University Hall Cinema and deSeve theatres in downtown Montreal.

Maya Eriksson of the German Interactive Media Foundation producers of The Magic Flute and director Fons Scheidon share the experience of creating the graphic novel.

The NFB on LSD: In Conversation with Christopher Nutter

From musician and filmmaker off the beaten path Chris shares his fascinating perspective of the NFB during the psychedelic era shares stories of Arthur Lipsett who refused Stanley Kubrick’s request to create the title sequence for Dr. Strangelove, Norman McClaren the lion in the hallway and tales of Montreal legendary animator Ryan Larkin and more.

Gerald Potterton: In Conversation

Director of the iconic cult film Heavy Metal three time Oscar nominee shares his stories animating the Beatles Yellow Submarine, directing Buster Keaton and a spin of his rare record collection including a never heard before soundtrack composed by Ringo Starr.

Researchers are finding evidence that our decisions are driven by the subconscious and emotional response. Learn about measuring human reaction to content and how these biometric measurement tools such as SENSUM wearable technology evaluates engagement level of the audience to content. http://sensum.co/

La Battle des Ecoles - School Contest

Animaze 2015 Jury

Mike Wiesemeier

Mike began his drawing studies in the early 1980’s at Brandes Art Institute, in Reseda, California. Several years later he began working in the animation industry, beginning with small studios including Morgan Interactive and Colossal Pictures in San Francisco, and Philips Interactive in Los Angeles.

His career in feature animation began at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1994, where he worked on six feature films including “Pocahontas”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “Hercules”, “Fantasia 2000″, “Tarzan”, and “Beauty and the Beast”. He worked at Walt Disney Animation Australia, and in Valencia, Spain as a supervisor on the animated film “El Cid: The Legend”.

Mike’s teaching career began while working at the Disney studio in Los Angeles, when he taught animation at the American Animation Institute, and at CalArts. In 2003 Michael taught life drawing to computer animators in Boulder, Colorado, and animal drawing at the Denver Zoo and San Diego Zoo. In 2004 he became a faculty instructor at the Art Institutes of California, teaching life drawing, animation, sculpture for animation, and character design. In 2005 he also taught figure drawing for 3D animators at Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood.

Since 2005 Mike has been a guest lecturer at many world class museums in Los Angeles, including The Getty Center Museum, The Getty Villa, The Huntington Library and Art Collections, and The Norton Simon Museum of Art, and Palazzo Strozzi in Florence. In 2007 Mike moved to Florence, Italy to study classical painting. He also continued his teaching here, at the animation school Nemo Academy, and other institutions such as New York University, Syracuse University, and Florence University of the Arts. In 2012 Mike moved to Montréal, Canada where he worked as Animation Director for top video game studio Square Enix/Eidos. He’s now a member of our ANIMAZE 2015 Jury !

Randall Finnerty

Randall Finnerty was born and raised in Timmins, Ontario. He studied Fine Arts at York University in Toronto, Sheridan College in Oakville and at the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto. Since 1997, he has been involved in numerous productions of animated short films at the National Film Board of Canada as a digital imaging artist and, since 2007, as Senior Computer Graphics Animator. In addition, he is a practicing visual artist who regularly exhibits work, in various galleries and Maisons de la culture.

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Screening of your film in Cannes at Off de Cannes May 16-17, at Annecy off (june) and during Animation Day location to be determined

1 a promo package with filmfestivals.com valued 1.500 euros
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Festival push: Promotion of your film to festival programmers worldwide in a shared eBlast to 13 000 festival contacts (twice)

Working on a Sunday? yea, I am .. looking at the other film festivals, most many miles away and if they have been succesful in what they intended ... many seem not to update or maybe have not done much for this year?

Málaga´s filmfest (April 17-26, 2015), directed by José Antonio Vigar, stands out as the most important festival in Spain during the first half of the year.

Focused on promoting the most outstanding Spanish productions at the beginning of the year; but also programs from the Latin American production.

Argentina presents two works: The gurí "by Sergio Mazza, in which Federico Luppi plays Felipe, a bar owner who witnesses the passing of people felt after the death of his wife; Gonzalo knows, an abandoned child who defies both fiction and as acting. The movie previously screened in the 65th Berlinale; "Generation + 14"; another production is "Fire", a crisis of newlyweds; directed by John Schnitman.

Mexican presence; Bernardo Arellano´s "El inicio del tiempo” (El The Beginning of Time); tells the story of an elderly couple round the nineties. His problems started when they retire pensions due to social and financial crisis in the country. Ernesto Contreras, with "The dark springs"; Couple conflict; Gael García also participates as creative director of "El aula vacía “(The empty classroom) which includes eleven directors: Flavia Castro, Mariana Chenillo, Paul Fendrik, Carlos Gaviria, Tatiana Huezo, Lucrecia Martel, Nicolás Pereda, Eryk Rocha, Pablo Stoll, Daniel and Diego Vega) who portray the impact of dropouts in Latin America through a wonderfully diverse and complex feature. Travel to seven countries and explores the reasons why nearly half of high school students never finish their studies.

PORTLAND, OR—Portland Film Festival (September 1st – 7th, 2015) is excited to announce its Call for Entries in all categories including student, transmedia, web, short and feature length films.

The largest and most highly attended film festival in Oregon in 2013, PDXFF presented over 145 features/documentary films and short films to an audience of more than 525,000 (23k in person and over 500k online). The festival had over 300 volunteers, 236 visiting and local cast and crew from showcased films and attracted over 1200 filmmakers to the city-wide event.

The Festival was named one of the “coolest festivals in the world,” by MovieMaker Magazine in 2014, and included in the “50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” in 2015.

Portland's love for film (Portland has more independent movie theaters in the heart of its city per capita than any other city in the world besides Paris.) makes the city the most appropriate setting for new films to be seen, tested, and celebrated by everyone - fan and filmmaker alike.

In 2015, we’ll be introducing our Golden Axe Award (Visiting filmmakers will get an opportunity to throw axes with professional supervision by a local Forestry Club.) PDXFF is proud to offer over $22,000 in prizes and awards.

Prizes and Awards

These juried awards are given for excellence in filmmaking, form and content. Additional prizes of goods and services will also be awarded:

New Directors Competition (International 1st and 2nd time directors)

$500 Narrative Competition

$500 Documentary Competition

$250 Short Film: Narrative

$250 Short Film: Documentary

$250 Music Video

$400 Screenplay: Unproduced screenplay

$20,000 Screenplay: Oregon Production Film Grant including crew and equipment to produce your project.

$500 Midnight Screening – Best Film in the Universe Award

Submission Deadlines (may vary with category)

Regular: April 14, 2015

Late Deadline: May 6, 2015

Withoutabox Final: May 15, 2015

Final Deadline: May 22, 2015

Submission CategoriesProfessionals, amateur and student filmmakers working in all aesthetic disciplines, lengths and genres including but not limited to narrative, documentary, animation, web, transmedia, music video, experimental of varied lengths from feature, short to micro are welcome to submit.

The MIAFF animation festival

There’s a new festival in Montreal exclusively focused on animation in cinema and technology. Festival director Laurie Gordon talks to Alex Despatie about the Montreal International Animation Film Festival.

“Montreal is the perfect city for an animation festival,” says Laurie Gordon. “Of course, we have the tradition of the NFB. But there are so many other strong animation studios in town. I’m astounded at how many beautiful shorts are being made here."

Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette

Never a dull moment in the life of Laurie Gordon. Her already crammed Coloniale Ave. flat in the Plateau, which she shares with her two dogs and four cats, has become the base of operations for her latest project Le MIAFF: Montreal International Animation Film Festival, an ambitious four-day event which kicks off Thursday at Concordia University with film screenings, conferences, master classes and lectures from heralded filmmakers and high-tech players.

No doubt that creator/director Gordon can pull off the inaugural edition of this fest. She is a dynamo, and she loves a challenge, even if that means too many sleepless nights.

In a previous life, she was an accomplished indie musician/producer. But a chance encounter with Ryan Larkin, the late/legendary NFB animator who had slid into homelessness, led to her helping him complete his final film, Spare Change, an animated account of his life on the street.

Gordon followed that by developing and producing Ryan’s Renaissance, a heart-wrenching yet upbeat documentary look at Larkin’s final years. Gordon, a cancer survivor, had also become Larkin’s caretaker, bringing him off the street to live in her home prior to his death.

Now she’s making a foray into film festivals. No small task in a city that just might boast more film fests per capita than any metropolis on the planet.

“I didn’t come into the festival thinking I was going to reinvent the wheel. As a producer, I became familiar with festivals and was reporting for filmfestivals.comwith my video blog. I became fascinated by the concept and the importance of festivals for both filmmakers and the public.”

After running into a cartoonist at a festival in Portugal, she had the idea to launch Le MIAFF, which she felt would stand out from the other festivals in Montreal. For starters, the focus is on both animation and high tech. In addition to screening nearly 100 shorts and features, there will be a dozen workshops, interactive performances, panel discussions and master classes with the likes of Oscar-winning animator Co Hoedeman, renowned director Gerald Potterton and musician/filmmaker Christopher Nutter, among others.

The fest kicks off Thursday at 7 p.m. with a live musical rendering of Mozart’s Magic Flute, performed by Montreal sound artist Philippe Lambert. Opening night takes – no surprise – an eclectic segue with a 40th anniversary tribute screening of the X-rated toon classic Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle, with pre-Saturday Night Live stars John Belushi and Bill Murray, along with Johnny Weissmuller Jr. (son of John Sr., the original star of Tarzan) providing the pipes.

Other highlights include a screening/homage to Potterton’s cult-fave feature Heavy Metal; Don Hertzfeldt’s Sundance-winning animated short World of Tomorrow; and the world première of A Bird in the Cage, a short doc on UK suffragette pioneer Margaret Mackworth.

And what will surely get a rise out of the techno types:

Le MIAFF will be holding a competition wherein the winner will be wired with SENSUM’s wearable technology, in order to establish the biometric measurement of their subconscious and emotional responses and engagement level to the fest’s films. Brave new world, indeed.

“Montreal is the perfect city for an animation festival,” says Gordon, who did some of the animation drawing in Spare Change. “Of course, we have the tradition of the NFB. But there are so many other strong animation studios in town. I’m astounded at how many beautiful shorts are being made here. The short film is being evolved into a place where they are often more powerful than features.

“But what sets this festival apart from the others of the genre here is that we are as focused on technology. We’re also delving into the world of gaming, which has become huge in Montreal. And gaming is, essentially, animation. We’re not scared about taking chances – even if some of what we’re doing this year we won’t want to do again.”

The festival is all-inclusive, featuring participants from all walks and from close to 40 countries. And it will also embrace the host city’s party mode with nightly soirées featuring everything from reggae to wine tasting at Rosalie’s on Mountain St.

“I have a vision for this festival, but what we really need to do is to build a market for it,” Gordon says. “The big difference, though, between directing a festival and a film is that there is a whole team around a festival and while it is, of course, personal, it’s not nearly as intensely personal as a film.”

Gordon is, in fact, working on a film that couldn’t be any more intensely personal. It’s an animated documentary about her dad, who passed away at 44 from cancer when she was 14 months old. The title, I Spy My Father, has particular relevance.

“I was too young to remember my father, but in piecing together his life, I was blown away. I discovered that he was a key witness in the Adolf Eichmann trial in Jerusalem,” says the Montreal-born Gordon, whose family is of Hungarian origin. “My father was in and out of concentration camps during the war. He was the only one in his family to survive the Holocaust. He did come face-to-face with Eichmann. And it was his character that was depicted in the film Hannah Arendt about the trial.”

The trial is but one facet of the film, which will trace his life from his beginnings in Budapest until his passing in the mid-1960s in Montreal.

“He lived through some of the 20th century’s most iconic moments, from the Spanish Civil War to the Second World War to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 – the latter which he reported on for the Toronto Star. Then there was his mysterious involvement in the Congo.

“His trajectory was crazy. It has a kind of Forrest Gump quality, but with guns and far more profound. He spoke five languages. He died young, but he was definitely a survivor. We thought he was a reporter, boxer or businessman. Turns out he may have been a spy for the Canadians or Americans – that’s why it’s called I Spy My Father,” adds Gordon, who is also producing Co Hoedeman’s latest, The Cardinal.

“I used to think my trajectory was crazy, but can’t compare doing films or festivals to his life. There’s crazy and there’s crazy.”

Le MIAFF: the first Montreal International Animation Film Festival runs Thursday to Sunday at Concordia University’s Hall and McConnell buildings on de Maisonneuve Blvd. W. For information about the schedule and ticket and festival pass prices, go to lemiaff.com or call 514-260-0848.

Filmfestivals.com was established in 1995, over the years we became the premier link between film and festivals with 6.000 festivals listed, over 22 000 festival organizers contacts in our database, 75.000 articles and 830 000 unique visitors per year...

The next shared eBlasts with Festivals in Focus goes out to our suscribers filmmakers next april 10, 20, 30, BE ON IT to promote your call for entries. The eBlast to Festival programmers leave tomorrow, April 8 /28.

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Selfie with President Jokowi (the whole EFX Team and panelists are in the room, Filmfestivals.com Bruno Chatelin, top right in blue taking the picture :-) above and below. What an amazing conclusion to a very exciting moments and panels. See you all for the next edition coming to Jakarta October 21 - 25, 2015: A fusion of film expo & tradeshow with a focus on Australia and the USA for Industry Professionals Film students and General public International showcase of latest technologies, fil...

Olivier Doyen our EFX panelist, and expert on posters (and film marketing) shares his knowledge. Pitching Lab Do you have a script or a great idea for a film? That’s fantastic – but what should you call it, and how can you get the green light to get it into production? Choosing the right title for your film is not always as simple as it seems, but we can help! Learn the rules and when to break them, find out how to craft ...

Acting Coaching (For Actors) So what is an Acting Coach? You’ll probably find as many definitions as there are coaches, many complicated and even contradictory. Our expert will cut through the confusion and explain how acting coaches work and what they can offer to help Directors get the best out of their actors. In this session, you’ll be taken through three important areas. First, how to efficiently prepare yourself to face the camer...

INDUSTRY CONFERENCE & PANELS CHOP CHOP NINJA The game creators, producers and broadcasters TELETOON tell the tale of how a popular IOS app developed by Gamerizon was developed into a successful multi format television and web property. FROM IDEA TO TV – Broadcast Ready Mike Drach development executive of 9 Story Media Group outlines the process of taking a concept for animated TV series through development all the way to production and broadcast. ...

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the release of the Shame of the Jungle by Picha and Boris Szulzinger, Le MIAFF! will program an adult evening begining with the world premiere of The Land of the Magic Flute, followed by a selection of shorts oriented to an adult audience and Shame of the Jungle and a jungle party. Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle (French: Tarzoon, la honte de la jungle) is a 1975 adult-oriented French/Belgian animated film directed by cartoonist...

It's easy to smile with Rosalie Laurie gives Thumbs Up with Sue Smith CBC RAdio Canada Studios on Home Run Richard Bugs Burnett the Montreal Gazette , Laurie Gordon director Animaze, Liz Ferguson Reporter, Blogger Laurie Gordon director of the Montreal International Animation Film Festival strikes a pose at the CBC television after her interview on Home Run Animaze 22 ...

Paul Aflalo interviews Laurie Gordon Director of The Montreal International Animation Film Festival David Thomas of Impact Reseach Marketing Technology arm of prime ad agency Cosette Group wait for the press conference to begin - by the wine collection at Rosalie Laurie Gordon talks to the media press & television & bloggers about the plans for Animaze and the development of City of Montreal - A Digital Hub David Thomas of Impact Research market...

Film d’animation on a remix of Cannes musical theme "Le Carnaval des animaux" by Camille Saint-Saëns, with an arrangement conceived by two swedish musicians, Patrik Andersson and Andreas Söderström. Subscribe ...

For the poster of its 54th edition, La Semaine de la Critique found inspiration in a still from Breathe, second feature film directed by Mélanie Laurent and part of last year’s selection. Lively, bold, freed of all constraint, the heroine played by the actress Lou de Laâge, embodies the breath of fresh air carried by emerging talents. The poster was designed by the Parisian agency “Les bons faiseurs“ from a photograph by Jérôme Plon. Since...

> PARTNERS FESTIVAL NEWS

Instead of paying submission fees and getting nothing in return, EVERYONE who submits to DOFIFF.COM will receive one of two benefits: Either 1): your film is already competition calibre, and gets accepted/nominated to compete, OR 2): you will receive a letter outlining exactly what is keeping it from being accepted. If you can make corrections, you can resubmit for FREE. Find us at https://filmfreeway.com/festival/DepthOfFieldInternationalFilmFestival and get your money’s worth.

UNAFF celebrates the power of international documentary films dealing with human rights, the environment, protection of refugees, famine, homelessness, racism, disease control, women's issues, children, universal education, war and peace.

The 18th UNAFF will be held in Palo Alto, Stanford University, East Palo Alto and San Francisco. This year's theme RUNNING OUT OF TIME continues the ongoing celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and focuses on time-sensitive aspects of the Millennium Development Goals.

Late Deadline April 30

The Burbank International Film Festival is now accepting Submissions for the 2015 Festival taking place September 9th-13th in Beautiful Downtown Burbank CA. The Media Capitol of the World.

BIFF IS AN IMDB QUALIFYING FESTIVAL

The seventh annual Burbank International Film Festival (BIFF) presents five-days of film screenings from around the world in 20 categories and kicks-off with a special Opening Night Screening and Gala Reception. The Festival continues with Film Screenings, Celebrity Red Carpet Events, After Parties and Receptions and will culminate with a star-studded Closing Night Gala Dinner and Awards Show.

Torture does not save lives. And it is illegal. Too many people think otherwise.

Tackling Torture at the Top, through this contest, hopes to produce entertaining and informative videos that contradict this harmful and inhumane view, educate the public, raise questions about the direction of our foreign policy and our use of the military, and by so doing, give the public the awareness and courage to rein in our country’s out of control security apparatus. Two $500 and two $300 prizes. Open to amateurs and professionals of any country.

The 11-day event (September 10–20, 2015) will include film screenings, Q&As, filmmaker workshops and parties in locations throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area, as well as online, through the DC Shorts Online Film Festival
The festival has been named as the “Coolest Short Film Festival” by MovieMaker Magazine, and is a three-time winner of the Washington City Paper’s “Coolest Short Film Festival” contest/award.

The Festival is looking for the best independent films from all around the world. We seek untold stories and unspoken voices. SUBMIT your feature-length, documentary, short, super-short, music video or animation. Deadlines are quickly approaching! We proudly announce more prizes to the “2015 Best of Festival” in the following categories:
- Director, Cinematography and Short Screenplay win a 7,500 USD camera rental package provided by PANAVISION + a SONY VEGAS Pro 13 each
- Narrative Feature, Documentary, Animation, Short Documentary, Short Film, Super Short Film and Music Video win a SONY VEGAS Pro 13 each.

The 11th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival and Film Conference/Film Market, scheduled for August 13-22, 2015 at the world famous TCL Chinese Theatre and Roosevelt Hotel, is now accepting submissions. (www.withoutabox.com/login/4655) 2014 HSFF, 3 times named to MovieMaker Magazine “Top 25 Fests Worth the Entry Fee” lists, featured over 400 projects showcasing stars and filmmakers including Sofia Loren, Bill Plympton, Anthony and Joe Russo, and Felicia Day. HSFF awarded over $150,000 in prizes, including $50,000 in post services courtesy of COMPANY 3 and METHOD STUDIOS for Best Short, Director, Music Video, Cinematography, VFX, and Commercial. Shorts HD distribution deals for winners and Final Draft prizes for Screenplay Contest winners.

> FILMS IN FOCUS

For festival consideration:

First feature by french actor director Thierry Sebban. Produced by la Petite Reine (The Artist) and Diabolo Films (The Suicide Shop).
Synopsis: Alex is a divorced father, a stressed executive. His daily routine is work, work, work. Tonight he's in a hurry, he's due to meet a beautiful young stranger... who contacted him via the internet. But this blind date will flip him into a downward spiral and disrupt forever the course of his life. Thriller, 75 min., Scope, Dolby 5.1 Directed by Thierry Sebban Starring: Simon Abkarian, Igor Skreblin, Perrine Tourneux... Email us for a screener

"ROOTED in PEACE challenges viewers to examine their values as Americans and human beings. Today we are at war within ourselves, with our environment, and with the world. Director and award-winning filmmaker Greg Reitman invites viewers on a film journey to take notice of the world we live in, proactively seek ways to find personal and ecological peace, and stop the cycle of violence".

THE GABRIELLE A. HANNA FILM INSTITUTE AND THE PROVINCETOWN FILM SOCIETY ANNOUNCE WOMEN FILMMAKER'S RESIDENCY PROGRAM Institute Selects Participants of the Inaugural Program Launching Today The Gabrielle A. Hanna Film Institute, an initiative of the Provincetown Film Society (PFS), announced today the creation of a women's residency program. The first residency starts today, April 6, and runs though April 17 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, followed by another reside...

Mr.Kaplan CLAIFF18 Closing Night: The 18th Annual Cine Las Americas International Film Festival will hold closing ceremonies on Sunday, April 26th at 7pm at The Marchesa Hall & Theatre. The festival will then wrap with a screening of the acclaimed Latin American film Mr. Kaplan (Dir. Alvaro Brechner). The comedy and drama is the story of an elderly Jewish man who has built a quiet life for himself in Uruguay after fleeing from Europe during WWII. But now...

DRUNKEN DRAGON ltd was born today, a production company created by Personality Agnes Goldman with the actress Xin and the director Emmanuel Sapolsky. EX MODEL our first WEBSERIES has been selected by SERIE MANIA Festival at the Forum des Images (Paris). You can discover EX MODEL on the festival Webside. A serie full of wit, charm.. and of course the gorgeous Xin.. Vote Now Ex-model S2 ep01 "Fashion panda" - Web-séries... par forumdesimages ...

The Rule of Lead - La Regola del Piombo will be screened in Competition at Houston WorldFest on April 16 at 7:00pm (CST). Director and producer Giacomo Arrigoni will be on stage with producer Alexia Melocchi from Little Studio Films, actors Gledis Cinque and Marco Continanza for a Q&A session with the public. The film is part of the Panorama Italia section, sponsored by Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Los Angeles and the Italian Consulate in Houston! Join us in Houston! ...

Ceau, Cinema! Festival from Timisoara, Romania announces the call for entry to the international competition section dedicated to feature films (fiction, non-fiction or animation). The call is open for filmmakers from countries with minorities in the Banat region. Ceau, Cinema! Competition provides a setting for the cinematographic expression of the traditional minorities from the Banat region. Productions or co-productions from the following countries are accepted in competition: Armenia, Aust...

> THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT

Welcome to the USA Film Festival, a 45-year-old, Dallas-based, year-round 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the recognition and promotion of excellence in the film and video arts and to bringing filmmakers and audiences together. How did we get our name? When the festival was created in 1970, it was the first program in the world to exclusively recognize and celebrate The American Filmmaker. Our program reach may have expanded since then, but we maintain ...

ABOUT ARKIPEL The word ARKIPEL was taken from ‘archipelago’ which refers to a term in Indonesian language ‘nusantara’. The word was known since the early 16th century. Nusantara is a group of thousand of islands keeping long globalization history of politics, cultural, and economics. More than 500 years ago, this region has become one of main destinations for Western explorer whom tried to find new areas to be colonized or as trading partner. Besides the European, there were also people came from the East (China, Arab, and India) which made this Nusantara region as an exploration destination in their trading missions of spices and silk. ARKIPEL International Documentary and Experimental Film Festival was initiated by Forum Lenteng to read a global phenomenon in social, political, economic and culture contexts through cinema.

J’aimee Skippon-Volke and some of the Young Australian Filmmakers at this year’s BBFF, including on her right, Brodie Poole, whose Flight of the Buffalo won the award. More than 100 young Australian filmmakers entered their work in the Byron Bay Film Festival this year, hoping to have their films shown alongside those of masters of the medium such as Wim Wenders and Tony Ayres, and to rub shoulders with stars of the calibre of David Wenham and Jack Thompson on the BBFF Red...

Festival Runs April 23 - May 7 The San Francisco Film Society today announced the complete schedule of films and events that will make up the 58th San Francisco International Film Festival, running April 23 - May 7 at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, the Castro Theatre and the Clay Theatre in San Francisco and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley. Download the Festival program here. Browse the full public program info at festival.sffs.org. Find press rele...

After its successful focus on France last year, Film Fest Gent is to include a British focus as part of its next edition. Following this focus Film Fest Gent will also celebrate the rich tradition of British film music by organising the concert GREAT BRITISH FILM MUSIC at the Bijloke, that will provide an anthology of the work of both classical and contemporary film composers, whom have made a remarkable contribution to the image and success of B...

Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored for the 11th time by AKBANK, the much anticipated Istanbul Film Festival’s 34th edition kicked off with an opening ceremony on Friday night, 3 April. The opening ceremony brought the stars and distinguished figures of the Turkish cinema together at the Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center.

From The Special Need to FEFF 17, here to play, in just 40 seconds, with the iconography of the Far East! April 3rd 2015 press release Please cascade as appropriate UDINE – The ability to synthesize information is definitely a talent that can also cross over into virtuosity. And it can as well turn into an extreme sport. Just ask all the filmmakers, from Pang Ho-cheung to Matteo Oleotto, who through the years have taken on a very complicated task: crea...

> AWARDS WATCH

With more than 85,000 visitors and 2.500 professionals each year, the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film (ITFS, May 5-10, 2015) is one of the biggest and most important animation festivals worldwide. Since 2011, the ITFS presents the Animated Com Award, with prizes for applied animation in the categories of advertising, spatial communication and technology. The jury has chosen 50 high class films, from 141 submitted international productions, for this year's shortlist of the Animat...

The 12th annual Vail Film Festival, which took place March 26 – 29, 2015, in one of the United States’ premier resort destinations, Vail, Colorado, is pleased to announce the official award recipients for this year’s festival, supported by signature sponsors the Town of Vail, School, Archaea Mass, Lagunitas, Volvo and the Vail Marriott, which served as the Host Hotel. The 12th annual Festival s...

Barbara Pichler bids adieu after seven years as director of the Diagonale Film Festival, which had a record 27,300 visitors, closing on March 22 in Graz. Displaying openness and consistency in the program selection, an insistence on the diverse forms of cinematic expression, and a connection to sociopolitical discourse, Barbara Pichler has successfully repositioned the Festival of Austrian Film over the past seven years. An enormous increase in visitor numbers, no least, attests to thi...

> PEOPLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

award-winning author is set to select a series of films to present at the 42nd Telluride Film Festival running over Labor Day Weekend, September 4-7, 2015. Festival organizers annually select one of the world’s great film enthusiasts to join them in the creation of the Festival’s program lineup. The Guest Director serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions, bringing new ideas and overlooked films to Telluride. In keeping with Telluride F...

STANLEY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES CLOSING NIGHT FILM, THE FINAL GIRLS, LINEUP, MASTER OF HORROR & FILMMAKING FRENZY The Stanley Film Festival (SFF) produced by the Denver Film Society (DFS) and presented by Chiller, announced today its Closing Night film, Festival lineup and the 2015 Master of Horror. The Festival will close out with The Final Girls. The film, directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, is the story of a young woman grieving the lo...

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announced today its 2015 jury as well as the addition of Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s LABOUR OF LOVE to their line-up. Other highlights of the festival include a Nickelodeon Scavenger Hunt for TV Comedy Writers, and a secret screening for passholders only of one of the most exciting new films in contemporary Indian cinema. The 2015 narrative film jurors are: director Sean Baker (STARLET, TANGERINE); actor/producer Abhay Deol (ZINDA...

THE 48TH ANNUAL WORLDFEST-HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO HONOR SEAN YOUNG WITH THE REMI CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD OPENING NIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL, APRIL 10, 2015 The 48th Annual WorldFest – Houston International Film Festival, which takes place from April 10th through April 19th 2015, will honor Sean Young with the Remi Career Achievement Award at the April 10 screening ...

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Filmfestivals.com was established 1995 as world reference in this niche, we are proud of our track record in helping festivals attract more legitimacy, visibility and film submissions from our large base of international film professionals (370 000 unique filmmaker visitors each month), 159 500 subscribers to the newsletter. ONE TIME OFFER We suggest this quick one month booster program for your call for entry including with 4 newsletter ads, your call for entry promoted one month lon...

Kicking off in less than 2 weeks, HÕFF's annnounces it's red hot Méliès’ d’Argent program, a selection of the best genre shorts from last year in the Little Nightmares and two Estonian short fantasy features' world premieres.
Special events will include the annual parade, anniversary parties and a parcour and kung-fu master running a workshop on how to deal with zombie attacks.

MÉLIЀS D'ARGENT SHORT FILM COMPETITION

As a member of European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation Méliès HÕFF will award one of these fresh short films a Silver Méliès, which will grant it a nomination to compete with winners from other festivals for the Golden Méliès.

HÕFF's annual selection of short shockers from across the world, the program will include a Silver Méliès winner Autumn Harvest, the UK gut-grinder Stomach and a strange attempt to interview god in Deus In Machina.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DAY
The Estonian helmer, scripter and actorEinar Kuusk set his post-apocalyptic story in an old bunker in a sleek Soviet-era town. He was inspired by the film sci-fi hit Oblivion and the epic gameLast of us.

IRON DEFICIENCYSander Jahilo's witty folklore-flirt is centered on a strange swamp encounter between the urban-technological and the natural-ecological thinking. The winner of HÕFF's script-writing contest and funded by Jameson.

PROGRAM HIGLIGHTS

WYRMWOOD
Redeeming the zombie genre, this gory low-budget joy ride by two Australian brothersKiah and Tristan Roache-Turner has already enjoyed serious festival-praise as being a crazy meld of Mad Max and Dawn of the Dead.

GERMAN ANGST
Acclaimed writers and directors Jörg Buttgereit, Andreas Marschall, Michal Kosakowski tell three distinct, yet equally horrific tales with a common theme being old images of Berlin's scariest architecture.

More than 70 Films from Around the World, Including the Critically Acclaimed ‘Burying the Ex’ and Asia Argento’s ‘Incompresa,’ Have Been Selected To Screen During the 2015 Riviera Maya Film Festival

The Riviera Maya Film Festival (RMFF) today announced its official program of domestic and international films to be screened at this year’s annual event (April 23rd–29th). Continuing its mission to promote and distribute the most outstanding productions of the global film industry, the fourth edition of the RMFF will feature three Mexican-production world premieres, 53 international premieres in Mexico, a wide variety of Latin American premieres and about 200 free screening sessions compose our program.

The competitive sections of the Festival are Mexican Platform, in which the jury bestows two Kukulkan Awards endowed with 300,000 MXN each and a Kukulkan Youth Jury Award, endowed with 100,000 MXN; the RivieraLAB/Co-production Forum, where two selected projects will receive a financial incentive of 200,000 MXN each; and the RivieraLAB/Work in Progress, where two selected projects will receive a financial incentive of 100,000 MXN each. In total, the Festival grants 1,300,000 MXN in awards and prizes.

"We are constantly trying to create a festival that has what is important: a solid program with guests that represent it. We will have 70 films, from which 53 are premiering nationwide. Thus, RMFF brings an added value to the people and visitors of Riviera Maya", said Paula Chaurand, director of the festival.

"What is important about festivals, film shows and events that promote national film production, is not for them to be numerous, but to have an identity of their own,” said Cristina Prado Arias, Director for Cultural Film Promotion. “That is the match point of this festival –RMFF, as it was born with an identity that has respected and reinforced.”

"The importance of RivieraLAB lies in the fact that, through its activities, incentives and support for creators, it has achieved to get films released in and out of the country.” Said Sandra Gómez, RivieraLAB chief coordinator.

The Riviera Maya Film Festival will take place in Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum, from April 23rd to the 29th.

Below you can find a selection of the films which will be shown at the 2015 Riviera Maya Film Festival:

The board composed by Maximiliano Cruz, Fernando del Razo and Claudio Zilleruelo has chosen 14 films from a total of 71 national films entering the call. All corresponding screenings will include special guests. The selected films are:

The selected films deal with the juncture issues of today’s social structure. Planetarium takes a stand before aspects of the world: political, cultural, historical, social and environmental. The selected films are:

• The Forbidden Room (2015, Canada) Directors: Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson *Screening will be attended by special guests

• The Kindergarten Teacher (2014, Israel/France) Director: Nadav Lapid *Screening will be attended by special guests

• The Smell of Us (2014, France) Director: Larry Clark *Screening will be attended by special guests

RivieraLAB PRESENTS

A showcase for films that went through former editions of RivieraLAB, as projects. This fourth edition outstands the world premiere of the Mexican documentary Los días no vuelven, directed by Raúl Cuesta. The selected films are:

• Los días no vuelven (2015, Mexico) Director: Raúl Cuesta. * World Premiere *Screening will be attended by special guests

• Ruined Heart! Another Love Story Between a Criminal & a Whore. (Philippines/Germany) Director: Khavn De la Cruz *Screening will be attended by special guests

• The Iron Ministry (2014, China) Director: J. P. Sniadecki

SELECTION - RivieraLAB 2015

RivieraLAB is the project laboratory and the production incentive platform of the Riviera Maya Film Festival. It presents, in its two sections, Coproduction Forum and Work in Progress, film projects in stage of development and post-production, accordingly. In addition to pursuing coproduction, sales agency, international funding, distribution and alternative financing, the chosen projects compete for economic and in-kind support.

RivieraLAB/ Coproduction Forum 2015:

From 94 projects entering the call from 20 countries, the members of the board, Sandino Saravia, Rebecca de Pas, Jorge Forero and Sandra Gómez, chose 9 projects in stage of development. The selected projects are:

• Am I Demon (United States) Director: Joel Potrykus

• Carroña (Mexico) Director: Sebastián Hiriart

• Tiempo vertical (Spain) Director: Lois Patiño

• Rojo (Argentina) Director: Benjamín Naishtat

• Nona (Chile) Director: Camila José Donoso

• Soy una estrella del rock (Mexico) Director: Raúl Fuentes

• Mis violentas flores (Mexico) Director: Tin Dirdamal

• Pistolero anónimo (Mexico) Director: Leo Marz, Angel Marz

• Mariana (Colombia) Director: Chris Gude

RivieraLAB / Work in Progress 2015:

From 93 projects that entered the call from 22 countries, the members of the board, John Campos, Gonzalo de Pedro, Susana Santos, Sandra Gómez and Maximiliano Cruz, chose 7 projects with a cut in post-production stage. The selected projects are:

PENINSULAB: Training workshop for producers and directors of the Mexican Southeast

PENINSULAB was created by RivieraLAB to enable counseling and follow up for 3 projects selected from the CAI Audiovisual Itinerating Camp, given by lecturers and special guests of RivieraLAB 2015.

CAI is an initiative that promotes production and development of audiovisual projects for communities of the State of Oaxaca. The program arranges workshops, training, meeting, and exhibition of the projects.

PENINSULAB together with CAI share the purpose of contributing to decentralization of the film culture in Mexico. We believe that quality films can and should be accessible to everyone. Beyond technical effort and high budget, the most important aspect of filmmaking is the common language and the stories to be told.

TEACHINGS/RMFF 2015

In order to take the next step regarding the exchange between film creators and audiences, the Riviera Maya Film festival has created TEACHINGS/RMFF 2015, a program for gatherings, conversations and master classes that will be held on April 26 and 27 in Playa del Carmen.

It intends to bring the audience closer to the experience of filmmaking, through the teachings of important creators. TEACHINGS/RMFF 2015 brings a complete schedule of academic activities, lecturers and disciplines such as direction, performance, production, sound design or scriptwriting.

Among the lecturers that will be attending the event, we have: Asia Argento, Joshua Safdie, Gust van den Berghe, Pedro González Rubio, Evan Johnson and Nathalia Acevedo. The complete list of lecturers will soon be announced.

The nine-day event showcases the best in web series, storytelling apps, and other Transmedia, as well as underground and off-beat independent film, filling a need for boundary-pushing artists whose work is not exhibited at more traditional festivals.

May 1-10, 2015

STIFF presents its 11th festival with a new name and exciting new program. Newly re-dubbed as the “Seattle TRANSMEDIA and Independent Film Festival,” STIFF 2015 will offer an impressive slate of web series, video game concepts, storytelling apps for mobile phone and tablet, and social media narratives in addition to some of the best truly independent films from around the world. This year’s festival will take place May 1-9 in six venues, including three new spaces, and a multi level gallery space where non-traditional work can best be exhibited.

Until last year (2014) the festival was known as the Seattle True Independent Film Festival. Says STIFF Director of Programming Will Chase, “We noticed there wasn’t a home for a rapidly growing genre of storytelling and interactive experiences, and we wanted to help fill that void. Transmedia is part of the future of independent filmmaking, and the time has come to put these works on display in their many forms.” Chase intends for the festival to help artists build an audience, and encourage them to continue telling their stories across one medium and then another as the needs of the story grows and changes, rather than confining them to one format to suit festival exhibition.

The question “What is Transmedia?” has been cropping up increasingly over the past few years, and STIFF is making its move to become one of very few festivals to display a curated selection of responses to that question. Always a champion of independent, local, underground, experimental and zero-budget films and filmmakers, the festival now opens its arms even wider to encompass alternative and emerging forms of storytelling.

“We showcase artists and storytellers who are pushing the boundaries of their medium and working across multiple mediums to create memorable experiences for our audience,” says STIFF’s executive director, Tim Vernor.

Highlights include

The world premiere of Seattle-based filmmaker Jen Marlowe’s “WitnessBahrain.” The documentary is a piercing look into Bahrain two years after the Arab Spring. Marlowe uncovered stories of doctors tortured for treating protesters, nurses treating injured youth at underground clinics, and the arrest of children and prominent human rights defenders. Marlowe entered Bahrain under false pretenses, filming clandestinely before being deported. The resulting guerilla-style documentary captures an intimate portrayal of Bahrain's uprising.

Phoenix Run is a transmedia franchise consisting of a web series, a console/mobile video game, a comic book series, an interactive digital comic, and episodic online/mobile content. Set in a near post-pandemic future where superheroes and zombies exist, a street-smart smuggler takes a job to hijack a vaccine shipment, and finds himself in possession of an experimental serum that could cure the world’s Superhuman pandemic.

Pirate Fishing is a ground-breaking interactive web game that allows the gamer to learn how to expose the multi-million dollar illegal fishing trade affecting West Africa’s poorest people. It’s based on a report by journalist Juliana Ruhfus “Pirate Fishing”, made for the Al Jazeera series People & Power, and has been nominated for the Royal Television Society Awards.

Assent is an immersive documentary developed in the Unity game engine for theOculus Rift Virtual Reality headset. This autobiographical immersive documentary puts the user in the footsteps of creator Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment. Assent invites the user to witness that day through his father’s eyes.

Throughout the Festival, in addition to the sit-down cinema presentations of features, documentaries and shorts packages STIFF-goers love and expect, STIFF will showcase transmedia projects in gallery spaces, at interactive play centers, and during Festival parties and networking events.

Last year's event showcased a potent blend of over 130 films, plus alternative music happenings, wild parties, and after-hours shenanigans.

Join STIFF for the biggest achievements in independent, underground, off-beat, experimental, and cutting-edge film and new media, right here in Seattle.

SBIFF’s ongoing film showcase “The Wave Film Festival” announces its highly anticipated line up for the 2nd edition. This edition will focus solely on an eclectic mix of brand new Spanish and Latin American films. The five day festival begins Wednesday April 29 and continues through Sunday, May 3, 2015 at the Riviera Theatre.

Recently, SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling appointed longtime Senior Programmer Mickey Duzdevich as Director of the Wave Film Festival. Said Mickey, “I'm excited for our newest edition of The Wave Film Festival as it will be a delight to honor Santa Barbara's Spanish and Latin American culture through the art of cinema. We've put together a fantastic group of new films from around the Spanish speaking world that I am sure everyone will love."

The official schedule, passes and tickets are available at www.sbiff.org.

THE LINEUP

BEHAVIOR (CONDUCTA)
Written and Directed by Ernesto Daranas

Chala is eleven years old and lives alone with his drug addict mother. He trains fighting dogs for a living, and this world of violence sometimes surfaces when he is at school. Carmela is his sixth grade teacher, for whom the boy feels affection and respect. One day she becomes ill and musts give up the school for several months. The new teacher, unable to understand Chala’s behaviour, sends him off to a reeducation school. When Carmela returns, she rebels against this measure and other transformations her class has been subjected to. The relation-ship between the veteran teacher and the boy grows stronger, but this mutual commitment will jeopardize their continuance at the school.

BETIBÚ
Directed by Miguel Cohan

When a renowned Argentine industrialist accused of murdering his wife is found dead at his home in an exclusive gated compound, the well known novelist Nurit Iscar (known as Betibú) is contracted to cover the story for a national newspaper. Teaming up with the paper’s veteran but now demoted crime reporter and the new US and Spanish-educated section head, whose interests initially lie elsewhere, the trio soon realise that this is no random crime but rather one in a series of murders that goes to the heart of the establishment. Mercedes Morán (Argentina’s Helen Mirren) takes centre stage in this taut, stylish conspiracy thriller where office politics blend with institutional corruption. Adapted from Claudia Piñeiro’s bestselling novel, Betibú offers noirish tones, narrative intrigue and an absorbing plot where nothing can be taken for granted.

DUST ON THE TONGUE (TIERRA EN LA LENGUA)
Written and Directed by Rubén Mendoza

Despite family patriarch Don Silvio’s abusive behavior toward friends and family, his magnetism has allowed him to remain the center of attention his entire life. When his death is imminent, he makes an unusual request—he asks two of his grandchildren to help him die. Will they take revenge? With an impeccable direction of actors and a seamless flow between fiction, documentary, and mockumentary, Rubén Mendoza displays surprising skill and boldness as he navigates the sensitive subject of veiled hostility between parents and offspring.

FLOWERS (LOREAK)
Directed by Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga

Basque construction worker Beñat expresses his secret love for the unhappily married, childless Ane (Nagore Aramburu), the female administrator on his worksite, by sending her anonymous, immaculately composed flower bouquets once a week. When Beñat is unexpectedly killed in a car accident, the flowers stop and so does the only brightness in Ane’s life – but when she uncovers the truth of her secret admirer, Ane begins to leave her own elaborate flower bouquets at the site of Beñat’s death, once a week. This leads Beñat’s unhappy widow, Lourdes, and his busybody mother, Tere (Itziar Aizpuru, star of For 80 Days), to learn there was more to their beloved Beñat than they thought they knew, and resolve to learn the truth from the unsuspecting Ane.

MAGICAL GIRL
Written and Directed by Carlos Vermut

Alicia, a sick child who dreams with the dress of her favorite Japanese series Magical Girl Yukiko. Luis, her father, will try to do everything in his hand to achieve it. But his fate intersects with Barbara, an attractive young woman with mental disorders and with Damian, a teacher retired from everything but from his troubled past. Luis, Barbara and Damian will be trapped in a world of blackmails, where instincts and reason will struggle in a tragic battle, changing their lives forever.

MARSHLAND (LA ISLA MÍNIMA)
Directed by Alberto Rodríguez

An atmospheric and highly-skilled detective story in the strong and dark tradition of Zodiac and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Alberto Rodriguez’s Marshland is one of the most awarded films in Goya Award history, winning 10 statuettes at the annual Spanish Academy Award ceremony this year. (Only The Sea Inside and Ay, Carmela! have won more.)

Set in 1980 in the wetlands of Rio Guadalquivir in southern Spain, Marshland has a palpable sense of heavy unease. Two teenage girls have disappeared, and two Madrid policemen arrive to investigate – Juan (Javier Gutierrez, winner of the Best Actor Goya) and Pedro (Raul Arevalo, in a very different role than his comedic turn in the Festival’s closing night film, Sidetracked). Yet suspicion and hostility mark from the townspeople, including the victims’ own parents, greet them. Ensnarled in upsetting discoveries and clues that only deepen the confusion and mystery, Marshland explores more than a potential murder – it upends the fearsome heart of a conservative faction of Spain still traumatized by the harsh light of post-Franco liberalism.

MR. KAPLAN
Written and Directed by Álvaro Brechner

Jacob Kaplan lives an ordinary life in Uruguay. Like many of his other Jewish friends, Jacob fled Europe for South America because of World War II. But now turning 76, he’s become rather grumpy, fed up with his community and his family’s lack of interest in its own heritage.

One beach bar may, however, provide him with an unexpected opportunity to achieve greatness and recover his family’s respect in the community : its owner, a quiet, elderly German, raises Mr. Kaplan suspicion of being a runaway Nazi.

Ignoring his family’s concerns about his health, Jacob secretly recruits Contreras, a more loyal than honest former police officer, to help him investigate. Together, they will try to repeat the historic capture of Adolf Eichmann : by unmasking and kidnapping the German and secretly taking him to Israel.

NEGOTIATOR
Written and Directed by Borja Cobeaga

Manu Aranguren is a Basque politician who acts as a mediator for the Spanish government in its negotiations with ETA. Far from being a solemn, calculated occasion, unexpected occurrences, slip-ups or misunderstandings soon kick in to influence the dialogue. And the personal relationship between negotiators will be key in solving the conflict.

ONE FOR THE ROAD (EN EL ÚLTIMO TRAGO)
Directed by Jack Zagha

Three eighty-year-old men embark in a road trip in order to fulfil the dying wish of a lifelong friend. In spite of the disapproval of their families and the limitations of their advanced age, they find themselves involved in a series of comical misadventures and meet a cast of colourful characters. Their journey alters their sense of self and their place in the world. There is, indeed, life after 80!

No film in 2014 has tapped the Spanish zeitgeist to the astonishing level represented by Emilio Martínez-Lázaro’s Spanish Affair (Ocho apellidos vascos). On the surface, the film is a light-hearted, witty romantic comedy in the vein of Martínez-Lázaro’s earlier successes, including The Other Side of the Bed. In a Seville nightclub, stand-up comic Rafa (Dani Rovira) is smitten with the fiery Amaia (Clara Lago), and impulsively follows her trail back to her native Basque country after she leaves his bed the next morning. Amaia is none-too-pleased by Rafa’s lovelorn attentions, but he provides a convenient cover for her just-broken engagement, which she wishes to hide from her father Koldo.

THE SECOND MOTHER (QUE HORAS ELA VOLTA?)
Directed by Anna Muylaert

Val is the kind of live-in housekeeper who takes her work seriously. She wears a crisp maid's uniform while serving perfect canapés; she serves her wealthy São Paulo employers day in and day out while lovingly nannying their teenage son whom she's raised since toddlerhood. Everyone and everything in the elegant house has its place until one day, Val’s ambitious, clever daughter Jessica arrives from Val’s hometown to take the college entrance exams. Jessica’s confident, youthful presence upsets the unspoken yet strict balance of power in the household; Val must decide where her allegiances lie and what she's willing to sacrifice.

This project is funded in part by Cultural Promotion Funds provided by the City of Santa Barbara in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission.

Passes and tickets for The Wave Film Festival are available now. To purchase or for more information, visit www.sbiff.org or call 805-963-0023.

Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. SBIFF offers 11 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums that transforms beautiful downtown Santa Barbara, CA into a rich destination for film lovers which attract more than 90,000 attendees. SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community through free programs like its 10-10-10 Student Filmmaking and Screenwriting Competitions, Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies, National Film Studies Program, AppleBox Family Films, 3rd Weekend and educational seminars. In recent years SBIFF has expanded its year round presence with regular screenings and Q&As with programs like Cinema Society, The Showcase and its Wave Film Festivals. For more information, please visit www.sbiff.org.

The International Festival of Digital Arts in Greece, Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) returns for its annual edition in the historic centre of Athens and invites you to a four-day gathering which will take place on May 21 - 24 in Diplareios School.

Under the theme of Public Space_s, the Festival seeks to highlight the various aspects of “public” both in the digital and physical space. In our times, the notion of public space appears to be one of the most contradictory concepts while the rise of network and communication technologies has changed our experience of public space. Public space is not only characterised by physical space and architecture but also by networks and knowledge distribution. In this framework, we seek to redefine the multiple interconnected spaces within which we act and raise new questions in relation to the information age.

Through its multidisciplinary program, artists from Greece and abroad will share with the public their own narratives based on new media, networks, space, sound and communication technologies featuring multiple aspects of digital creativity.

The 11th edition of the Athens Digital Arts Festival will present multimedia interactive works, audiovisual installations, video art, web art, digital image, creative workshops, artists’ talks, presentations of international festivals, performances and music events, creating an ephemeral and dynamic public space in the historic building of Diplareios School in Theatre Square, St. Eirini Square and Aiolou street.